A sidewalk(American English) or pavement (British English), also known as a footpath or the meaning of F4 the Road Traffic Act 1988 with or without a right of way on foot; Root damage: If trees are too close to pavement, or if compacted soil forces large roots to grow very near the soil surface, roots can eventually lift pavement. When roots encounter a paved area, the only entry is often a gap between the soil and pavement.